Assume you are the general manager of a large hotel and have formulated a strategy of renting banquet facilities to organisations for big events. At a monthly management meeting, your sales manager informs the head of food operations that a big reception in one week will require converting a large hall from a meeting room to a banquet facility in only 60 minutes a difficult but achievable operation that will require precise planning and extra help. The food operations manager is furious about not being informed earlier. What is wrong here? 2 Dell Technologies has acquired a large cloud infrastructure and services company (EMC) to improve its capacities and capabilities to provide services (not just computer hardware) to customers. Which of the three generic business-level strategies should Dell Technologies use as it begins to leverage its newly acquired capabilities? Explain why. 3 If an organisation has hired strategic management professionals to help top managers, during which part of the strategic management process would they play the largest role? 4 Perform a SWOT analysis for the university you attend. Do you think university administrators consider these factors when devising their strategy? 5 Netflix has successfully adapted to a number of challenges in its industry. What do you see as some emerging opportunities and threats for the company? 6 Using Porters competitive strategies, how would you describe the strategies of Target, Coles Supermarkets, David Jones and Kmart? Do any of these companies also use cooperative strategies? Discuss. 7 Walt Disney Company has four major strategic business units (SBUs): films, theme parks, consumer products and television (primarily pay/cable). Place each of these SBUs on the BCG matrix based on your knowledge of them. 8 As administrator for a medium-sized hospital, you and the board of directors have decided to change from a short-term, acutecare facility to a drug-dependency hospital. Which organisational dimensions would you use to implement this strategy? 9 Fortune magazine found that a clear, stable strategy is one of the defining characteristics of companies on the list of The Worlds Most Admired Companies. Why might this be the case? 10 Do you think the movement towards corporate collaborations, alliances and partnership rather than competition is a passing phenomenon or here to stay? What skills would make a good manager in a strategic alliance with another company? What skills would make a good manager operating in competition with another company? 11 You are a middle manager helping to implement a new corporate cost-cutting strategy, and youre meeting scepticism, resistance and, in some cases, outright hostility from your subordinates. In what ways might you or the company have been able to avoid this situation? Where do you go from here? 12 If you are the CEO of a global company, how might you determine whether a globalisation, transnational or multidomestic strategy would work best for your enterprise? What factors would influence your decision? How would your choice reflect the products or services your company is offering? 13 Describe how the Internet increases the bargaining power of consumers, one of Porters five competitive forces. Have you felt increased power as a consumer because of the Internet? Explain. 14 How might a corporate management team go about determining whether the company should diversify? What factors should they consider? What kinds of information should they collect?